In the April 20th Sunday Gazette I outlined the reasons that we desperately need to reduce our energy consumption in this country, and made a commitment to change my lifestyle accordingly: radically for one month, and substantially in the long term. (To read the column, click here.)

It’s funny the things that you miss while driving a car. Along with the beautiful sunrises, morning bird songs and the beaver dam right in suburban Glenville, I noticed parts of about a dozen side view mirrors broken off at the narrow underpass on Glenridge Road — I guess it’s about time they widened that a bit. Walking and biking are great, but the change is harder than I thought, with several things that I hadn’t considered, mostly involving gasoline consumption.

These include:

• Bonds of obligation: When a friend who is between cars asks, in advance, for a ride to DMV at lunch, or a relative moves to Mechanicville, it’s hard to say “Sorry I’m not burning gasoline.”
  

• Physical limitations: Oh my, when did I get so old? A 6.5 mile walk to work knocked me for a loop the first time I tried it. I’m getting stronger, but I’ve yet to attempt a round trip. My old bicycle hurt to ride and I had to by a new one (at about 40 miles of driving to shop, buy, and return for a service call). And my enthusiasm for this venture was a bit thin by the end of each week. Overall I have to temper this to leave energy for life and work.
  

• Weather: The first week was warm, but the second week was tough: I don’t have the fortitude to start out on a bicycle when there is a frost, and 45°F and raining requires an automobile.
  

• Schedules: I’ve looked into carpools, but thanks to flex scheduling, I’ve not been able to find anyone on my work shift. I have taken rides home after walking in.
  

Since April 19th I’ve walked 18 miles and bicycled 56 miles that I normally would have driven, and when I did drive I used the best gas mileage vehicle available.

But the bottom line: From the age and mileage on my cars, I estimated that I drove about 1,000 miles, burning just over 40 gallons of gasoline in a typical month, aside from vacations, special trips, etc. First half of my “strike month” I drove 332 miles and burned 12 gallons of gasoline.

I’m still behind my intended pace, and to get a 50 percent reduction in mileage for the month I’m going to have to get pretty severe.

Mind you, the limits of my success did not stop me from developing a strong sense of superiority to drivers. Formerly I had to save my scorn for the occasional Hummer or Escalade. But the people sitting waiting for those horribly timed lights crossing the Rexford Bridge look silly as you buzz by on a bicycle (though they catch you on the uphill side) And halfway through a 7-mile walk, as you smell the stink of exhaust, you can indulge in contempt for the average sedan, or even Prius if they are younger than you and ought to be exercising!

To sum it up: I’m having fun with this, and highly recommend it. Suddenly driving to a gym to work out looks kind of silly. Just walk somewhere that you were going to go — no gas, no vehicle wear, and no gym fees. But I’d suggest that you break in some good walking shoes, start gradually, and be ready to eat more than you are used to.

About the author: Norman Perazzo lives in Scotia. He’ll add regular updates on the progress of his strike here.

Are you on strike, against high gas prices or wasteful practices? Are you trying to conserve energy or make other changes in your life? Add a comment below, or email Greenpoint at greenpoint@dailygazette.net.